Friday

Life/figure drawing: I was late this morning so I had texted (?) Ronette, who had set up my easel for me. On it, someone had scribbled "Help!" and the one day I find something funny to photograph, I carried around a camera without a battery in it!

Textile Lunch VI: topic was originality/innovation, and we had a robust discussion but I can't remember much because I was tired. The discussion started with Dick Frizzell's paintings of found signs, and then went on to several New Zealand artists I had never heard of, and how New Zealand art students can't escape going through their own Colin McCahon period. I complained about some exhibitions I've been to where the Artist's Statements were far more interesting than the works. We talked about art work being purchased as investments, and how the artists would feel about it. Ronette proposed an exhibition with an Artist Statement and descriptions of individual works but without actual art works. That's got to be interesting!

I shipped 10 scarves to Marlborough Weavers for our "stall" during Garden Marlborough, at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Blenheim, November 6-8.
I had my eyes checked to see if I needed new glasses and I don't at this stage.

I went to the bookstore and did the aforementioned, shameful thing. Then bought the October issue of Art News New Zealand because Tim Wraight had a 4-page contribution about his stint in Switzerland in it, and the name of one of the artists mentioned during lunch was on the cover.

Calendar: buying a big wall calendar is an event for me. Every year I think about the year that's about to end and the year ahead. Some years, the decision was spontaneous, (African masks, New Zealand seabirds, Rothko); some years after much toing and froing and comparing a careful decision was made.

Dance, from ballet to contemporary, has always been my least favorite of performance art and I go see performances under severe duress, like someone I know is in it. Today, I couldn't get the images out of my head from a few weeks ago, and bought the 2010 Martha Graham Dance Company calendar. Some of the costumes are hideous, and I intend to cut/paste pieces of paper over them, but I think the combination of my figure drawing experience and a presentation I saw on an Australian opera or ballet company costume designer last year triggered this.

I have great respect and admiration for their skills, but they're all kinda skinny and fit and pretty, so... ummm... BLAH!!!! I don't like watching gymnastics, either, nor beach volleyball! But still photographs and drawings of dancers, they are luscious.

Now, I'd better tell you about the second half of Ben's holiday last week.